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Reviews
| Historical Archaeology: Why the Past Matters. By Barbara J. Little. Walnut Creek, Calif.: Left Coast Press, 2007. 207 pp., illus., refs., bibl., index. $29.95 pb (ISBN 978-1-59874-023-3).
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Sankofa. Barbara Little uses this Akan word, meaning to reclaim the past in order to understand the present, to describe the practice and goals of historical archaeology. Written for introductory students, amateurs, and those who are generally unfamiliar with historical archaeology, Little provides a fast-paced, concise survey of the field. Playing off thought-provoking quotes, Little situates the book within her own frustrations with the discipline and challenges readers (and professional archaeologists) to ask questions that go against the status quo and take action to make untold histories known. Little carries the theme of defining historical archaeology through its applicability to the present, global contexts of events, and daily practices.
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The book is divided into four parts. The first part introduces the goals, values, and tools of historical archaeology and the book's objective: "to stimulate thinking about how we use the past" (p. 21) in order to "find[ing] present-day meaning of the historical past and mak[ing] the past meaningful and useful" (p. 22). Little uses several studies in historical archaeology to illustrate how known histories become problematized and how unknown histories become questioned, highlighting the ways in which historical archaeology uniquely provides new answers and, sometimes, new histories. For instance, Little provides a simple example of how two different interpretations can be made about a small family cemetery: one interpretation that incorporates an accurate understanding of the historic record and the other that excludes historical accountability and primarily focuses on the material culture presence/absence phenomenon.
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"What do we care about?" is the question answered throughout the second part of the book. Themes common in studies of historical archaeology, including colonialism, slavery, capitalism, ideology, and technological changes, are discussed in terms of how misrepresented, underrepresented, and unknown groups and events are brought to light. Through her "windshield survey of historical archaeology" in the third part of the book, Little provides numerous examples to demonstrate what archaeologists are studying within a variety of contexts and the ways in which archaeological and historical evidence answer and pose innovative questions.
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Unlike other books intended to introduce amateurs and introductory students to the field, such as Deetz's In Small Things Forgotten (1996), Little brings two important issues in historical archaeology to the forefront: ethics and public scholarship. Other volumes in historical archaeology are often more theoretical in nature (Martin Hall and Stephen Silliman, Historical Archaeology, 2006) or treat theory, methods, and the application of archaeological research separately (Dan Hicks and Mary Beaudry, The Cambridge Companion to Historical Archaeology, 2006). Little provides a theoretical undertone, even expanding on Charles Orser's haunts (Historical Archaeology, 2d. ed., 2003), all the while demonstrating the application of archaeological methods and research. For instance, in demonstrating the historical significance of studying migration and diasporic communities, specifically the Chinese migration throughout the western United States, Little illustrates how historical and social factors influencing population movements in the past led to characteristics of modern globalization as seen today.
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One thing unique in this introduction to historical archaeology is the premise of the social relevance of archaeology to modern issues and the responsibility of archaeologists to ask important, large-scale questions: "If historical archaeologists want our work to have broad meaning, then we have to keep broad questions in mind" (p. 44). Little explains the social relevance of historical archaeology in terms of social capital, civic renewal, and transformative learning. These not only promote wide-ranging questions but also resonate with distinct goals within the discipline itself. Little also leaves her book with an "untidy" ending, providing the reader with a reflective quote from the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, encouraging individuals to think about what they have learned, find out what the past means to them, and consider what actions they are willing to take to ensure that the past is never forgotten.
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| This is an excellent book for amateurs, enthusiasts, or introductory students beginning their study of historical archaeology. The language and layout are easily accessible, and Little's short chapters make for a quick read, allowing students or instructors to follow through with concepts or examples in the Further Readings section. Information, ranging from theory in historical archaeology, CRM, and public scholarship to specific site information, is provided in this section with the author's personal recommendations. The emphasis on the social importance of archaeology and the study of history is a refreshing and distinctive approach to introducing the field to a diverse audience. Little rightly situates historical archaeology within its social relevance to the historical and modern world with her diverse examples, providing an evocative glimpse into the true glitz and glamour of historical archaeology. This is the first introductory text that fully encapsulates the excitement and enthusiasm many feel in asking questions of the unknown, shedding light on the forgotten, and sharing histories with others to ignite the intrigue felt about the past. |
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